One-Day Conference: Publishing Spanish Writers in English

A comprehensive seminar on the current issues and opportunities for publishing Spanish writers in the U.S.

The conference will gather US book publishers and editors, Spanish professionals, magazine editors, literary critics and agents who deal with Spanish writers for an American readership, together with a select group of institutions offering grants and subsidies from either side of the language divide such as PEN, the NEA and The Spanish Ministry of Culture. This one-day, highly targeted event will explore relevant issues in publishing Spanish writers in the US, and engage a vibrant transatlantic conversation focused on identifying problems, presenting grant programs and promotion awards, and considering new approaches for framing much-needed support.

Pertinent questions will be addressed, such as: Is there a growing appetite among Anglophone readers for Spanish writing? What are the trends in Spanish-language fiction and non-fiction? What are the benefits of splitting rights between the US and the UK? What role do magazines play in establishing new voices in the US? What do reviewers look for in a foreign writer, how do magazines choose what to publish, must it be translated ahead of time and does the reviewer need to have a context of the tradition?

And from editors: What tips the scale in favor of publishing a Spanish writer? What are the principal setbacks when translating? Is there a problem with the business model? Is there a different focus for commercial versus literary writers and how does it affect the role of the translator? Is it hard to get review space for translated fiction? Do blogs or digital magazines make up for that? Where does the most pertinent information on Spanish writing come from: Prizes? Cultural journalism? Agents?

The King Juan Carlos Center at NYU welcomes US professionals who have already published or worked with Spanish-language writers, as well as those who would like to do so in the future, for a frank discussion on how to open an American readership to the burgeoning talent in the contemporary Spanish literary scene. By engaging with each other and networking, we hope to gather the facts, the figures and the much needed information that will help forge new and more suitable initiatives.

Additionally, we offer relevant, state of the market figures on the Spanish publishing sector, information on co-official languages in Spain, and a review of the new editorial and rights map. In short, the conference’s mission is to foster the ongoing transatlantic exchange between Spain and America, and pave new literary passageways between languages and traditions.

Reception following conference at the residence of the Consul General of Spain in New York, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Post-conference material

The following links lead to conference materials that may be of interest. In addition to the conference program, there is an executive summary that highlights the key points of each panel and speaker featured in the video recordings, and presentations from Panels I, III and VI are also included for reference.

Admission

More information

Credits

A SPAIN arts & culture event organized by the Spain-USA Foundation & the Embassy of Spain in Washington with the support of the King Juan Carlos I Center in New York, the Consulate General of Spain in New York, Spain’s Office for the Promotion of Books, Reading and Spanish Literature, the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade, and Spain’s Public Agency for Cultural Action.